Sweden's minority right-wing government has advanced a series of crime-control proposals ahead of the general election on September 13, including legislation that would require social media platforms to remove gang "murder adverts" within an hour. The government, which is supported by the Sweden Democrats, has also previously announced plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for crimes punishable by at least four years in prison.

The government said last week it planned to introduce legislation requiring social media platforms like TikTok and Snapchat to take down the "murder adverts" posted by gangs within an hour or face hefty fines. The proposals form part of a broader package on crime and immigration the government has been advancing ahead of the vote.

According to police statistics, 23 innocent bystanders have been killed and 30 wounded in gangland shootings in Sweden over the past three years. Those casualties include people hit by stray bullets, cases of mistaken identity, and relatives of targeted gang members.

Sweden has struggled for more than a decade to contain gang violence linked to score-settling and battles to control the illicit drug market. Swedish gangs often use social media and encrypted apps to recruit teens who are paid to carry out crimes.

Sweden's age of criminal responsibility is 15. People under that age cannot be prosecuted and instead fall under social services responsibility. Gangs recruit teens under 15 because they cannot be prosecuted for crimes.

Alexander Wallenius, operations coordinator at the Swedish police's department of national operations, described the profile of those carrying out the shootings. "We are dealing with very young perpetrators who, in many cases, have no previous experience of violent crime, which means a greater risk that third parties or the wrong target will be hit," Wallenius said.